Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Cultivating a New Blog, New Thoughts, a New Me

Hi Tammy here of First Grade at Storybook Café. I have decided that a new year is the chance
for me to start a new venture. I have been blogging for a few years now, but
the last few years I have somehow misplaced my drive and enjoyment of blogging.
I found myself comparing myself to others, and feeling a lack there of. I
wanted to write marvelous posts of teaching and creating, and sadly it just wasn’t
there. I have stopped and restarted time and time again. I had (have) lost my passion to write for me (and honestly I might still
have).

So on this eve of the eve of a new year’s eve, I am beginning
again. I begin with my thoughts the last few days and the contemplation of my
OLW for 2016. I have been doing this ever since I heard about it on Oprah years
ago…but
honestly that is the most I have done “thought of and picked a word.” I can’t
even remember my word from last year. So this year I hope to do more with my
word to help keep it in my daily or at least weekly life.

With the brainstorming of my OLW came the thoughts of a new
blog and a new direction. I found myself writing about many personal things on
my “teaching” blog and one of the reasons I quit writing is because I assumed
those reading (other than my mom and husband of course) were looking for my
wonderful teaching insights not my latest recipe or epiphany about being an
empty nester, or turning 50.

After spending a few days and a few restless nights I have decided
to redesign my blog (not yet as cute as my last, but soon), rethink my writing,
and maybe revitalize myself and my passion in the process (again).

So I’m going back to my beginning. Back to where my blogging
began. Back to where the very first spark to blog and write was ignited all those
years ago. I am linking up with the Two Writing Teachers for the weekly Slice of Life Writing Challenge. I made my very first blog post there, so it seems
only appropriate to begin there again.

This blog will be an agglomeration of all of me. I will be cultivating thoughts about being in my fifties, about
my life, my family, my wants and needs, my dreams and desires. I will be cultivating ideas about things I love like riding
my bike, crafting, writing, cooking, and reading. I even hope to cultivate a few works of fiction. I will be cultivating concepts about teaching and students,
school and education in general. And in turn this year I hope I cultivate new habits, new ideas, new friends, and
maybe a bit of a new me.

And there you have it my OLW for 2016.
Cultivating. It came to me on a bitterly cold December day, and wouldn’t
leave my thoughts until I cultivated this
new blog. I hope your word finds you for 2016 and you are able to cultivate it into something beautiful.

Hi Tammy, it's so lovely to see you writing here. I remember how beautiful your words were in those "other years", so welcome back to planting other seeds as you cultivate. Happiest of New Year's wishes to you and your family.

What a great word! I have those same mixed-up thoughts about the direction of my blog and what belongs there, what doesn't and what I should or shouldn't write about. Don't know if I want to start another one, but this is definitely something to ponder! Congrats on your new cultivating space!

Welcome back to SOL. It didn't take me long to figure out you new word for 2016. I think cultivating is a great word. Lots of room for differentiation for you in many different areas. Enjoy, I look forward to hearing from you more often. BTW, I'm also an OSU (Oklahoma State University) grad. We live in the Pacific NW, but I love hearing from home state folks.